Bengaluru, June 22 (IANS) Union Minister for Heavy Industries and Steel H.D. Kumaraswamy on Monday challenged Karnataka Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar to a public debate on the controversial Bidadi Township Project proposed near Bengaluru, asserting that farmers were opposed to the project.

Addressing a press conference here, Kumaraswamy said: “Let D.K. Shivakumar come for a public debate on whether the farmers are in agreement with this project. I am free whenever he is ready. He may be busy until midnight, but I have already asked him to spare some time for this issue. I am not as busy as he is. We will go before the people. Women and senior citizens have been staging a dharna for the last 450 days, and we will go there as well.”

Alleging that the project would not benefit the public, he claimed: “Nothing will materialise from this project except the filling of Shivakumar’s pockets.”

He also announced legal action against the project.

“The legal battle against the Bidadi Township project is important. We have formed a legal team to examine all aspects of the issue. Within the next two to three days, we will approach the court with all relevant documents,” he said.

Referring to Congress leaders’ confidence about returning to power in 2028, Kumaraswamy said: “They are declaring that the Congress government will return to power in 2028. Let them first be prepared to go to jail. I do not know how many will face consequences, but I know they have already opened an office in Bengaluru’s Nagarabhavi locality. First, set Bengaluru right. I am ready for any challenge. I have never given anyone an opportunity to loot public resources.”

He acknowledged that the township proposal originated during his tenure as Chief Minister, but maintained that it never progressed beyond the preliminary stage.

“I have already released detailed documents to the media explaining how the project began. I admit that the proposal was initiated during my tenure. I granted preliminary approval for five township projects, but they remained at the initial stage,” he said.

He said a meeting on the proposed Bengaluru Integrated Township was held on September 23, 2006, when he was the Chief Minister. A notification was issued on October 18, 2006, for five integrated township projects, and a documentation committee was formed on November 28, 2006.

He said that a decision was also taken that no development activity should take place in the proposed township areas until further approvals were granted. Global tenders were invited, and several villages in Kanakapura taluk were later brought under the proposed integrated township plan.

Kumaraswamy further claimed that Congress leaders, including the present party President Mallikarjun Kharge, former CM Siddaramaiah, and Shivakumar, had opposed large-scale land acquisition in the surroundings of Bengaluru for the project when discussions were held in the legislature in 2007.

He said the project was linked to the Special Economic Zones (SEZ) policy introduced by the UPA government at the Centre in 2005 and that proposals were made to acquire large tracts of land around Bengaluru.

According to him, Congress leaders had then objected to acquiring agricultural land in Ramanagara and Bidadi, arguing that farmers depended on activities such as animal husbandry, arecanut cultivation, and coconut farming.

“During my tenure, Congress leaders strongly opposed the project. They said the government should protect farmers’ land and that SEZs should be developed away from Bengaluru rather than in its immediate surroundings,” he said.

He maintained that when he became Chief Minister again in 2018, he did not pursue the project despite having the opportunity to do so.

“If I had intended to implement the project, I would have done so on a war footing in 2018. The preliminary notification was issued under D.K. Shivakumar on March 12, 2025, and the final notification was issued on June 10, 2026, after he became Chief Minister. Nothing substantial happened during the previous 20 years,” he claimed.

Responding to allegations regarding the classification of certain areas as ‘red zones’, Kumaraswamy said the Comprehensive Development Plan (CDP) prepared in 2006 had identified development zones around Bengaluru and that approvals were granted as part of long-term planning.

He also alleged that the latest government decision claimed that a majority of landowners had accepted the project, while thousands of farmers had objected.

“The government says the authority’s decision has been accepted by a majority of landowners. However, around 4,500 farmers have objected to the acquisition, and not a single objection has been properly addressed,” he claimed.

Questioning the compensation package, Kumaraswamy said the government was offering a combination of cash compensation and developed sites but argued that similar promises made in the past had not been fulfilled.

He also criticised the practice of legislators publicly distributing compensation cheques.

“Land acquisition compensation should be transferred directly through RTGS by the competent authority. Since when has it become the job of MLAs to distribute compensation cheques? It is being turned into a publicity exercise,” he said.

–IANS

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